December 22, 2024

How can God keep a marriage together?

Forgive17

Seventeen years ago my wife and I were about to wave goodbye to our seventeen year old daughter as she prepared to enter her first year of college. The day was filled with love, trepidation, excitement and emotion for us all. Our daughter asked if she could take our picture to remember the moment. When she sent us a copy of the photo I immediately sensed this was one to keep in a place where it could be seen it every day.

The picture is securely wedged into the woodwork inside the door of an old pine armoire in our room. We had been married for over twenty years at that time; we had moved across the country and were raising seven children. This was a time to remember.

The note card with Colossians 3:13 hand written upon it was something I had used while teaching a high school age Sunday School Class.  The scripture was a plain spoken spiritual truth to live by and seemed to go perfectly with the photo.

This summer we will celebrate our thirty-eighth anniversary.

 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

I am grateful that my wife and I have learned to submit ourselves, our marriage and our family to the word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God’s forgiveness has always been a shelter for us from the storms of life.

We have moved four times since that photo and scripture were wedged into that armoire, neither of them has budged one speck through all that  hauling and relocation.

This is a good and workable formula. Find yourself a moment of joy to hold onto. Anchor yourself with God’s word. Don’t move one speck.

God is faithful. Do what He says. Trust Him.

 

 

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